


Old Wounds, a Steven Universe fanfic

by LordKaiserthe1st



Series: Rose Redemption AU [7]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multiverse, Post-Episode s05e29-32 Change Your Mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-06 22:28:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16841671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordKaiserthe1st/pseuds/LordKaiserthe1st
Summary: An innocuous family visit quickly spirals into Steven's strangest adventure yet.





	1. Chapter 1

The worst of winter had finally passed through Beach City, the blistering torrents of freezing cold snow now having finally died down. What remained were mounds upon mounds of snow piled almost high enough to stand as tall as a one story building. With this brief respite of winter’s wrath, the people had eventually left the warm safety of their homes to dig their businesses along the boardwalk out of the snow. Though now the winds had finally died down, the cold still lingered in the air. 

The Temple, in contrast, hummed with life as Steven prepared for the day ahead. Rose watching as Steven buzzed with anticipation, “You look excited.” Rose said cheerfully. 

Steven grinned from ear to ear as he reach under his bed for a notepad, “Yeah, I had something special for us planned! I was hoping we could spend the day with an old friend!” He tried not to spoil the surprise, hoping to keep his intent a secret.

“Oh, that sounds lovely! You know I always love spending time with you!” Rose said cheerfully. Honestly, what Steven was more excited for than anything was a break from all of the serious gem stuff that seemed to be dominating his life as of late. It had seemed as if the moment Rose had stepped in to be a part of his life that the affairs of the Diamonds, gems that had a history with his mother, and even disgruntlement from the other Crystal Gems had overwhelmed him. The thought of just having a normal, stress-free day from it all seemed very relieving.

“So, who is it?” Rose asked.

Steven’s smile persisted, “Oh, it’s someone you know.”

He checked the alarm clock by his bed, ‘she should have arrived by now’ he thought before a blinding flash of light erupted from the Temple warp pad, in moments Bismuth emerged as she greeted Steven, Peridot following her close behind, “Mornin’, little man!”

“Hey Bismuth! Hey Peridot!”

“Oh… hello Bismuth.” Rose said, trying to sound polite while still struggling maintain eye contact with her.

“Rose.” Bismuth said plainly, her tone becoming much more jovial as she turned to address Steven, “You said you wanted to see me yesterday?”

“Yeah!” Steven said, trying to remain optimistic, “I was hoping you two could spend the day with me!”

Peridot cleared her throat as she glared at Steven, “Sorry, you three.” He corrected himself.

The two larger gems look at each other awkwardly, “Steven, that’s very sweet that you want to spend time with Bismuth, but she and I have a… sorted history…” 

“Look, I know you two are upset at one another, but I feel this may be something you guys can work out.” Steven reasoned, “You both mean so much to me, and you may not know it, but you both have a lot in common!”

“Like what?” the two said in unison.

“Like how you two have a lot of the same friends, and you two used to be friends, and-”

“Until she decided to bubble me.” Bismuth said abruptly, “For thousands of years.”

“Lapis herself went through having to adjust to life on Earth after own imprisonment. But in time was able to forgive the others, with my help of course.” Peridot interjected as Steven nodded in agreement.

“Please Bismuth, I’m not asking you to act like it never happened, but with how much you two want to help me be a better Diamond when I’m older, I want you two to be able to at least get along!” Steven pleaded.

Rose sighed, “Steven, I understand what you’re trying to do, but I’m afraid it’s just not going to happen.”

Before Steven could form a retort, the snow outside began to billow out in all directions. A loud, rumbling noise reverberated throughout the Temple, rattling everything within. Steven rushed outside to locate the source, spotting an airplane parked along the shore.

“Uncle Andy!”

“This human again?” Peridot groaned.

The half-gem boy dashed outside, eager to greet his visitor, “Hey, how’s my nephew!” Andy said, ruffling Steven’s hair as he stepped out the cockpit to his plane. The cold air nipped at his ears and nose as he felt a chill crawl up his back, having now realized he had ran out without any winter gear. Hoping to avoid another long-winded lecture from Pearl later, he escorted Andy inside where Rose greeted him with open arms.

“Mom, Bismuth, this is Andy. He’s one of my Dad’s relatives!”

“Hello! I’m Rose, Steven’s mother!”

“Well, hi there-*hurk*!” Andy’s words were cut short as Rose wrapped him in a warm, tight hug, finally letting go after hearing his back pop from the strain, “Yeesh, okay then… You’re a hugger… good to know. Say, don’t wanna sound rude, but I thought Greg told me you were-”

“It’s a long story, right now, I’m just so glad to finally meet more of Greg’s family. I mean, I had seen you, but through my son’s gem. Now I can see you in person!” Rose’s giddiness clashed with Andy’s awkward silence. Steven could hardly blame him. 

“…I see…” Andy said in response, “This is a pretty nice place you all have, hopefully you won’t try to smash it… like you did my barn!” his tone harshened upon his last words, wincing in response as he realized what he was talking about. He hadn’t even considered telling Andy what happened after the barn was destroyed in their battle against Blue Diamond. 

“That barn had been with the Demayo family for ages and you went and smashed it! I thought I could trust you!”

“Hey, back off!” Bismuth snapped, her tone catching Andy off guard, “Ain’t his fault Water Wings tossed it at Blue Diamond!”

“The loss of the barn was indeed a tragic, but ultimately necessary sacrifice in gaining the upper hand against our foe!” Peridot added, her statement doing nothing to improve Andy’s mood.

“Yeah, so what’re you all gonna do? Build a new one?” Andy retorted. Bismuth huffed, “Who do you think fixed this place after the Diamonds trashed it!”

Steven felt a twinge of guilt over Andy’s words, “Andy, I’m really sorry about the barn. Would it make you feel better if I had someone get Bismuth to fix it?”

“I think that can wait for a while, Steven.” Bismuth said, “Right now, Peridot and I have been working on something special for ya.”

“Wait, really? Like what?” Steven asked, his curiosity peaked.

“We’ve been thinking of fitting you for a suit of armor for battle, I promise ya it’ll have the Bismuth quality guarantee!” she said cheerfully.

“Hold the phone, who said anything about my nephew going to fight anyone!?” Andy cried.

“Don’t you think he’s a little… young… to be worrying about this?” Rose protested.

“I don’t know, you didn’t seem to mind having the gems dump all your responsibilities onto him.” Bismuth snapped.

Rose said nothing, the frustration on her face clear. She rubbed her forehead as she stepped out of the Temple through the front door, grumbling under her breath.

“Bismuth, this is what I’m talking about!” Steven said, “I know you’re upset with Mom, and you have good reason to be, but just staying angry with her isn’t helping! With how much you two are going to be working together in the future, you need to work things out!”

Before another word could be said, the room once again filled with a bright light. The intensity blinding everyone in the room. Steven’s vision became fuzzy, he was barely able to see anything before he heard the sound of footsteps at his door. The front door slammed opened, and several figures entered as they grabbed hold of him.

Even as Steven’s consciousness faded in and out, he could still faintly hear the protests of the others before finally blacking out.

*

Rose struggled to regain her footing, her vision blurry and her ears still ringing even when her consciousness returned, but all the same, she could tell she was no longer outside and overlooking the snowy beach shore. As her senses returned, she could faintly hear the hum of machinery all around her. 

When her sight had finally recovered, she could see she had been placed in a small room, a transparent barrier placed between her space and the outer area. Through the yellow-tinted ‘doorway’ of her room she could see Bismuth imprisoned as well across the empty hall.

She recognized the construction of this prison, as it bore an uncanny resemblance to similar Homeworld spacecraft, especially of the ship that had taken Steven and the other gems over two years ago. But this revelation did little to help Rose’s confusion, ‘Who took us?’ she thought, ‘How could this have been possible?’

She tried to think of likely culprits. ‘The Diamonds?’ But she had made amends with Yellow and Blue, and if this were White’s doing, she would have known right away. ‘Another gem seeking revenge on me?’ she felt a knot form on her chest. The idea of a gem from her time as Pink Diamond seeking retribution for her transgressions was not a new one. Rose still remembered how she and Steven had become trapped on a distant planet and hunted down by Fire Agate. Although they had managed to broker a sort of peace between them, Rose was always worried that others would follow suit and would prove to be more difficult.

“Oh, this is just perfect!”

Rose’s concentration was broken by the sudden noise. She turned, seeing Bismuth staring towards her as she sat with her back against the wall, “We get taken by some group of unknown gems and of all the people I have to be next to, it’s you.” She chuckled for a moment to take in the absurdity of it all.

“I suppose that is quite a terrible fate.” Rose said somberly and sighed, “I wouldn’t want to be with me either…”

“So how much you wanna bet this is another bunch of gems who have a score to settle with you?” Bismuth said, “There’s certainly no shortage of gems who feel that way.”

Rose said nothing in response, silently accepting such a possibility. She could not begin to fathom the number of gems who sought revenge against her. And could she blame them? Despite her noble intentions, she felt haunted by those who had perished in the war for Earth. Gems on either side who died pointlessly, never knowing that their leaders were one and the same. Powerless as she was to control Homeworld’s forces as Pink Diamond, they were still loyal to her. And she knew that.

“Do you have any ideas of how to get us out?” Rose asked.

“Tried.” Bismuth replied bluntly, “These barriers can’t be breached because our bodies are made of light. We’d need someone like Steven to get us out.”

“Oh, I hope he’s alright.” 

Bismuth laughed once more, “Just when we think it’s over, you just keep dragging him through your messes…”

“Excuse me?” Rose responded, her voice dripping with indignation.

“Oh, don’t get all high and mighty, ‘My Diamond’. This poor kid’s been cleaning up after you for a little over three years-”

“You think I don’t know that?” Rose snapped, “You think I like the idea of my son suffering for every stupid mistake I’ve made!? You’ve been through his memories. So you know better than to think that!”

Bismuth said nothing as she turned her gaze away from Rose as she bitterly stared back at her with narrowed eyes. The two sat in silence saying nothing to one another until they both finally calmed their nerves, or at least Rose had hoped.

Before she spoke once more, she heard the sound of footsteps. Rose tried to listen more closely. It sounded like two sets, and approaching fast. ‘Did someone hear us?’ Rose thought. She braced herself, anticipating the return of her captors.

As the footsteps grew louder, a second noise could be heard though. A voice that seemed familiar to her. “They have to be here…” said a shrill, nasally voice. Rose immediately recognized who this was, relaxing as Peridot appeared before them.

“Aha, I was right!” Peridot exclaimed triumphantly, “Now then…” The small green gem reached to the side of Rose’s cell, the barrier encasing her swiftly fading away. Although greatly relieved to be free, more questions now loomed over Rose’s head, “Wait, how did you free yourself?”

“They thought I’d be powerless just because I was an Era 2!” she loudly proclaimed, “They were unprepared for my mastery over metal!” As she lifted her hand, a small sharp metal tool began to hover beside her. With a flick of her wrist, it cut through the air at blinding speed at the wall beside Bismuth’s cell. Sparks sputtered as the energy wall to Bismuth’s cell dissipated.

“Peridot, sweetie, did you see Steven?” Rose asked frantically.

She shook her head, “I didn’t. Given my experience from serving for Homeworld, I was able to traverse through this vessel unabated and felt procuring some much needed muscle from you two would help in rescuing Steven.”

“Wait… Peridot, you’ve been on a ship like this?”

“Of course!” she said, not bothering to mask her pride, “These ships were the replacements to the previous drop ships used during your tenure as a Diamond. These ships come equipped with confinement areas made for when gems are tasked with studying a planet’s local fauna to determine if the planet possess life sustaining properties that make it a suitable candidate for colonizing. It would have to be within the ship’s lower levels.”

Rose felt a wave of relief wash over her as she hugged the small gem tight, “Oh, Peridot, thank you!”

Peridot struggled to speak, “Rose…. Your grip….” She squeaked, gasping for air. Rose quickly realized her mistake, quickly setting her down, “O-oh! S-sorry, sorry! It’s a habit…”

The three of them silently made their way across the ship, Peridot using her tool to distract what few guards there were as they crept through the empty halls. It reminded Rose of her time during the war. When she and her fellow Crystal Gems had would sneak aboard ships, rushing to take them down from the inside. In the early days of the rebellion, she had learned to master guerilla tactics to try and undercut Homeworld’s superior numbers. 

The first time she had knocked a drop ship out of the sky with Pearl and Garnet, the gemstones of the crew safely tucked away within the Temple had always been a cherish memory. Her first victory against the Diamonds, her first real victory. And it sent shockwaves across the then-budding colony. Soon, other gems joined the fray, including Bismuth, all inspired to seek a life that was better than what Homeworld would promise. The destruction of that Drop ship spurred the rebellion into a phase of rapid expansion.

But with time, the memory had shifted. The events the same, but the perception of it radically different. It was then that Homeworld had also started taking the “rogue gem” issues far more seriously. With the new lineup of gems willing to fight by her side came the responsibility to lead them. To guide them. It was fine enough when she fought alongside close friends, but the toll the war brought to both sides would weigh heavy on her, even to this day. 

“Here we are.” Peridot whispered, spurring Rose from her concentration. 

Rose surveyed the circular room. Organic-like structures snakes along the ceiling like the roots of a tree. In the center of the room stood a large, octagonal case, its wall constructed of a transparent material, all manner of tools and implements dangled from wires. Rose shuttered to think of what grim purpose they served and hoped Steven did not find out himself.

“Hey, let me outa here!” A voice cried out. Rose looked to search for the source, finding Andy within one of the rooms many cages.

“This is some kinda freaky alien spacecraft, isn’t it!? Did any of you have something to do with this!?” Andy shouted.

Peridot scoffed, “Yes, human, you have finally unraveled our diabolical scheme which involved us getting captured by a group of unknown gems and stuffed into holding cells against our will. Truly, your deductive reasoning skills know no equal!”

Andy grumbled in response as Rose and Bismuth tore open the cell door, “Hey, now don’t get smart with me! Not every day you get manhandled and dragged aboard some alien warship or something!”

“Actually, from the technology I see here, this appears to be more of a research and development station.” The small green gem replied, analyzing the room around her.

“Oh? Is that all? Well forgive me, squirt, I don’t exactly get on many spaceships these days…”

“Can we focus!?” Bismuth snapped. 

“Andy, was Steven with you?” Rose pleaded.

“For a bit, kid was out cold, they said they were planning on taking him somewhere.”

“Did you hear where?” Bismuth asked.

“Sorry, no. From the sound of it though, it seemed they really just needed him.”

It seemed nothing was making sense for Rose, her mind racing to find answers, only to be met with more questions in their place. ‘Who are these gems? Why did they take us? What did they want with Steven?’ 

“Well…” Bismuth finally said, breaking the silence, “Standing around here ain’t gonna help us get Steven back any faster, we had better move.”

Rose couldn’t agree more. Steven’s safety was more important than answers. As the four made their way out, though, one question still persisted, ‘Where had they taken Steven?’


	2. Chapter 2

Steven stirred in his sleep, the bright light above assailing his eyes as he grumbled and turned on his side. He wasn’t sure where he was, but his mind and body felt too tired to find out.

“Steven?” called someone, their tone quiet and soft almost like it were a whisper, “Steven, my sweetheart, it’s time to get up.”

He groaned, finally lifting himself up and opening his eyes, once his vision had cleared, he surveyed his new surroundings. He appeared to be laying on what he could assume was a gigantic bed with large, plush pillows in the center of a room big enough to place a house in. Pink bubbles, each containing a familiar gemstone floated harmlessly throughout the room, “Uh… what? Where?”

As his mind recuperated, he quickly realized where he was, ‘I’m in… the Human Zoo!?’ he thought to himself. Steven had little time to think before being swiftly scooped off the bed by two large hands, “Oh, my sweet baby! You have no idea how happy I am to finally see you!” Steven now recognized the voice that spoke to him, “What… Mom?”

The gem that spoke to him held him out. It appeared to be a thin woman with short, puffy pink hair and hot pink skin and eyes with a Diamond shape for her pupils. Steven knew there was no mistaking that this was Pink Diamond, the form his mother used to have before choosing to become Rose Quartz. His stunned silence at the sight of her likely caught her off guard.

“Oh, goodness, I didn’t even think… yes. I know I look very different, but… it’s me sweetheart, it’s mommy.” She said as though he wouldn’t have already known.

“No, no this can’t be right, you’re supposed to be Rose. You have a… Rose Quartz gem…” He tried to reason, but her gemstone was indeed his mother’s original gemstone, its angle changed from its ‘Quartz’ position to reveal her Diamond cut. He lifted his shirt, thinking something had happened to his own gem but found it was still present.

“Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry I never told you, but… I was… am… Pink Diamond. I’m not allowed to be Rose anymore, but the Diamonds still let me to keep you, isn’t that nice?” What she was saying didn’t make sense. His mother had a Rose Quartz gem now, all she COULD be was Rose now. And the Diamonds had tried to accept that last they spoke.

“Mom what are you talking about? None of this is making sense! I… I need to return to Earth! I-”

“No, no. Please, stay. Everything will be alright.” She pleaded, trying to reassure him.

“Mom, everything about this is wrong, you’re Rose! Somebody took us! I have to contact everyone on Earth!”

Steven got up to leave before being grabbed by Pink once more, her desperation made clear as she begged “Please, Steven. Just… please, don’t leave me. I… I’ll give you whatever you want… don’t leave me again…” she held him close to her as she tried to calm herself down. But all Steven thought of was the curious word choice ‘Again?’

*

Within the lower research facilities of the Homeworld ship, Rose and company tried formulate some sort of plan. They now knew that their mysterious captors’ main goal was her son, and that he had been taken somewhere else away from the ship. Though Rose still pondered on why they needed him and where they took him, she knew now what they had to do.

“We’ll need to take a ship.” Rose stated, “And one of the gems who took Steven. Andy, do you remember what any of them looked like?”

Andy scratched his forehead in contemplation, “One of them was big, real big.”

“Okay, but did you see where her gemstone was?” Bismuth asked.

“Her what? No idea, but she had this piece of jewelry in her left eye.” It wasn’t the best description, but they knew they’d have to make do.

“Let’s see if I can search through the data logs of this ship, they’d need to have a list of staff present onboard.” Peridot deduced. “What makes ya say that?” Andy asked. 

“When you have one hundred of the same gem type aboard, it’s useful to keep track of distinctive characteristics for each one. Facet numbers, gem cuts. The usual indicators.” Peridot said, “Helps with running delicate operations as smoothly as possible.”

She closely inspected each corner of the room, running her fingers along the wall as though to locate some secret hidden within. 

Finally, her labors had been met as one panel hummed and separated itself from the wall, a large screen flashing to life. She reached her hands to what appeared to be the control console, her eyes suddenly glowing and flickering with static as the screen before them flipped through a list of gems ranging from other Peridots, to Agates, to Quartzes.

“Success!” Peridot cried out triumphantly, “This must be our gem. Citrine, Facet 13E, Cut 1KS”

The image presented show a hulking Quartz soldier with short, caramel colored hair. Stripes of milky white streaked along burnt orange skin. As Andy had described, her gemstone appeared where her left eye would have otherwise been present.

Beside the image appeared to be a list of highlighted tasks, “Hmmm, it seems this guard was tasked with accompanying a small section of the crew of bringing ‘Pink’s gift’ to its designated location. It would appear her ship is made to scan her gemstone to gain access to it. We take her, we can take her ship.”

‘Pink’s gift?’ Rose thought. Now she was simply more confused than ever. What or who could have been referring to? Why would these gems need Steven? Much to her growing frustration, she knew she had to concentrate on the task at hand.

“Peridot, is there a way to signal this gem in particular from here?” Rose asked.

Peridot fiddled with the console before answering, “As a matter of fact, I can. But what do you have in mind when she gets down here?”

“We’re gonna give that Homeworld upper-crust an old fashioned pounding!” Bismuth proclaimed, clenching her fist in anticipation.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Andy cheered, “Finally, enough of this talking, let’s knock some sense into these bozos!”

“Alright, we don’t know what to expect from this gem.” Rose reasoned, “We’ll need to coordinate as a team to secure our victory-”

“It’s just a Quartz.” Bismuth groaned, “We’ve fought Quartzes before. Yeah, she looks all mean, but for all we know she probably isn’t any bigger than our Amethyst.”

Rose grumbled, “Just, fine… Peridot, could you please lure her down here?”

Peridot shifted between each of them, a sense of indecisiveness present in her expression. With a shrug, signaled the Citrine to arrive at their location.

Time slowed to crawl as they waited for the guard to arrive. Andy waited within his cell while Peridot cut out the lights, hoping to quickly poof the gem in question to avoid unnecessary noise. 

Still, something didn’t sit well with Rose, a sense of dread that gnawed at the back of her mind. Once more, her mind taking her to the days of the war. For a time, Homeworld would still procure humans to be taken to the Human Zoo even as tensions between rebels and colonists rose. Normally, Homeworld soldiers would have been tasked with shipping large quantities of humans out to the location of the Zoo within enclosed capsules. 

For a time, Rose would deploy rebels to dispatch of the guards and free the trapped humans therein. But eventually, Homeworld would grow wise to her tactics. Deciding to fill them with the larger and more imposing Quartz soldiers once her forces were already exhausted. It served as a bitter reminder of the other Diamond’s twisted creativity.

Just as before, she felt this sense that something was not as simple as it seemed. She wished to warn Bismuth, but hesitated. ‘She wouldn’t listen to me.’ Rose thought to herself, ‘I suppose it wouldn’t be without good reason…’

The doors to the room opened as Bismuth lunged without pause towards the figure’s left. Rose, summoning a shield, attacked from the right. In a split second, the hulking silhouette dodged with alarming speed, her would-be assailants colliding towards one another.

As they tried to regain their bearings, they caught a glimpse from what little light still remained. The Citrine towering over them, a snarl escaping her clenched teeth.

“Bismuth.” Rose said, still dumbfounded by the impressive size of the Quartz before them.

“Yeah?” Bismuth said plainly, equally in shock.

“She’s definitely bigger than Amethyst.”

“I see that.” Bismuth stated, sounding just slightly embarrassed.

“Much, much bigger.” Rose quipped.

“I see that!” Bismuth quipped back, her tone shifting to that of mild annoyance.

The Citrine lurched forward, slamming both her fists to the ground with a thunderous crash as Rose and Bismuth barely dodged her assault. Rose was the first to recover, quickly striking the Quartz with a left hook to the jaw. Her hand throbbed in pain as she discovered the limit to her new gem’s strength. 

Before, when she possessed her Diamond gemstone, she recalled times were even Quartz gems such as these would have been fodder to her overwhelming strength. 

Oh, how the table had now turned as the Citrine slowly turned to face her and growled. She wrapped her mammoth hand around Rose’s head and swung towards Bismuth, the later narrowly avoiding her. As she landed, she hung upside down and lodged within the wall. Before Rose could recuperate, a piece of metal debris flew towards her working eye and wrapped around her head as the gargantuan Quartz wrestled to free her eyesight.

“Don’t just sit there!” Peridot yelped, “Do something!”

Dazed, Rose fumbled to free herself from the crater she had formed from the impact. As she gained her footing she noticed from the corner of her eye that bismuth was sporting a massive grin.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Rose coldly hissed.

“Hm? What, no, no, no.” Bismuth said, half-heartedly trying to hide her amusement, “Pffft, yeah.”

Rose huffed, “Do you want to help me rescue Steven or not!”

Bismuth’s smiled quickly vanished, “Don’t pull that with me, of course I care about Steven!”

“Then for just a moment, put your grudge against me aside and help me with this Quartz!” Rose barked. Bismuth narrowed her gaze towards her, shifting it briefly to the Citrine, muttering something under her breath. Finally, the Citrine tore her metal blind from her face crushing the shard of debris in her hands.

Rose summoned another shield as Bismuth’s hands took the form of hammers. The Citrine turned to face them, cracking her neck.

“Ready?” Rose asked.

Bismuth nodded, “Ready.”

Rose barreled towards the colossal Quartz soldier, her shield raised to her head. The Citrine attempted to strike, only to miss as Rose ducked under her legs. In her moment of distraction, Bismuth struck her head with both her fists as Rose charged from behind to collide into her back with her shield.

The Citrine lurched in pain, holding her head as she tried not to tumble to the ground. In her dazed state, the Quartz swung her fists, hoping her blind jabs would strike the others. Rose, however, kept her distance. Tossing her shield towards an adjacent wall. The shield ricochet around the room at breakneck speeds before slamming into the Citrine’s face. 

The two of them circled around the massive Quartz like rabid sharks, striking whenever an opening revealed itself. Rose bashed at her weak points the edge of her shield. With one final blow from the rainbow-hair gem, the Citrine’s form dissipated in a puff of smoke. Her gemstone clinked against the floor as Rose scrambled to bubble her in the hopes of avoiding another physically taxing confrontation.

“Well, that settles that.” Bismuth stated.

Rose smiled, “I had forgotten how talented you were as a fighter.” 

Bismuth smirked, “I was expecting you to have lost your step, seeing as you wouldn’t be as powerful anymore without your old gem.”

“Okay, remind me to never get on your bad side.” Andy stated, “Always knew Greg needed a big girl to keep him in line.”

“Oh, uh… thank you.” Rose nervously stated, not sure how to respond.

“It would seem Steven was correct.” Peridot stated, “You two are much more formidable when you work in unison.”

“Let’s focus on the task at hand.” Rose said, frantic to change to the subject, “Let’s see if this gem can help lead us in the right direction.

She held the Citrine’s gemstone in her hand, her mind lost on Steven’s wellbeing. ‘Please stay safe, sweetheart’ she thought, ‘I promise we’ll find you. Wherever you are.’


	3. Chapter 3

Steven’s footsteps echoed throughout the halls of the Human Zoo as he raced to escape. “Steven?” Pink cried out, but Steven ignored her. He wanted to leave. He just wanted to go home. To get away from this place and be with the others, with his family. He hated being cooped up here, of all places. He tried to find a way to the landing bay, maybe there would be a ship. He didn’t care that he didn’t know how to operate a ship, maybe he could contact someone to help. Maybe he could call Lars and the Off-colors.

“Steven, sweetie, where are you?” Pink called once more. ‘Who was this gem?’ he kept asking himself. She seemed so convinced that she was his mother, but he knew that couldn’t be true. Could Homeworld have made another Pink Diamond? But if so, why? How would she know who he was? Even so, why would she even be here in the Human Zoo? She hated this place, hated how it stood as an example of the Diamonds’ callous disregard for her feelings towards Earth. 

What had made it worse was this air of unease that he had felt in her presence. Despite her sincerity, he couldn’t help but feel his skin crawl around her. He knew this was who his mother used to be, but hearing her voice come from this gem had simply been nothing short of off-putting.

Even trying to find the right time to make for his escape had proved difficult. He swore this gem was fussier than Pearl around him, watching him as though he were made of glass and paper machete. He finally had his chance by tricking her into thinking he wanted a nap, immediately slipping past her as soon as she had fallen asleep herself.

“Sweetheart, you’re scaring Mommy, where are you?” Steven felt as though he was now going in circles, he tried to parse out details to remember where he was, but the walls were as pristine as the last time he had visited. Free of any sign of age or wear throughout every corner he turned, and each was identical in its design.

Eventually, his luck had finally run out. Upon the next corner, he ran right into Pink’s legs. The force of the impact knocking him to the ground as he felt a dull, throbbing pain throughout his face, “Steven!” Pink knelt down on her knees, a twinge of concern in her voice as she reached out a hand to help him to his feet, “Baby, what’s wrong? Why are you avoiding me?”

“I want to go home!” Steven shouted, slapping her hand away.

For a moment, Pink sat in stunned silence, “Sweetie, you are home, with me-”

“You know that’s not what I mean! I’m so sick of being trapped here! I want to go back to Earth, I need to see everyone else. If you are my Mom, than don’t you miss the other gems and Dad!?” His mention of the latter seemed to leave Pink with a feeling of guilt that could almost be mistaken for actual physical pain, “O-of course, baby, but we can’t go back…”

“What are you talking about?” Steven protested.

“Steven, you and I can’t leave. The other Diamonds won’t let us. Not after all I’ve done…”

Steven sat in shock, trying to contemplate this revelation. ‘We… can’t go home…’ he thought to himself. ‘I’ll never see anyone I love again... I’m stuck with a stranger out in the middle of space far away from all my friends and family…’ the reality of his situation finally hit Steven like a freight train, “…No…”

“Steven?”

“I… I just want to go home…” Steven started to break down into tears. His mind racing with the thought that everyone he loved moving on without him, never knowing where he was. He tried to collect himself, but to no avail, the stress summoning streams of tears that poured down his face.

Pink gasped in shock, “No, no, no, no, no! Please, please don’t cry! Don’t cry, baby!” she pleaded desperately. Steven wished to stop. He just wanted to be home, he wanted to be with his father. He wanted to at least have the chance to tell Connie how much he loved her. Or tell the gems how much they meant to him. His mind kept racing with images of him living on without them forever, an entire galaxy away. Lost and eventually forgotten to everyone he held close, “I want my Mom…” he finally said through all the incoherent blubbering. 

He knew how juvenile that statement felt, but he meant it. Even if she wouldn’t have the perfect thing to say, he knew she’d be there to help console him. To let him know he wasn’t truly alone.

Through his weeping he could all but barely make out the hue of a shining Pink light and later of the hand reached to out to him to invite him to come closer. Instinctively, he curled onto the stranger’s lap, the feeling being all too familiar to him. “Come here, sweet child.” Said a familiar, soothing voice, the softness of her tone silencing the whirling torrent of unpleasant thoughts within his head, “Shhhhhh, no more tears now…” Steven tried to focus on her voice, fixating on it like a candlelight that pierced through the darkness clouding his mind. 

Through tear-welled eyes, he gazed upwards, seeing in Pink Diamond’s place the form of Rose Quartz, his mother. And though he could not be sure if this Rose was his mother or not, he took some measure of solace from her presence. 

*

The act of taking a ship proved simple enough. Rose and the others by now had a thorough layout of the ship thanks to Peridot that finding their way around proved trivial. And between her and Bismuth, any gems aside from the towering Citrine they had faced earlier were quickly disposed of. 

There was silence throughout the small ship as Rose held out the bubbled gem, “Alright, let’s see what this gem knows.” She dispersed the bubble, the gemstone falling harmlessly in her hand before she gently set in on the ground. In moments, it began to glow and finally hover in the air as Citrine finally reformed and appeared before them, “What, who-?” she said in confusion.

Rose tried to think of how Steven would handle this, as he had a way with making others lower their guard, “We don’t want to hurt you-” she calmly reassured, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. Peridot rushed beside her, a metal shard floating above her open palm, “But we are adequately equipped to do so if necessary!”

Rose grumbled as she glared at Peridot, mildly annoyed by her outburst before continuing, “Please, where did you take Steven?”

“I see no reason to tell any of you!” The Citrine growled, “You’re wasting your time!”

Rose’s patience began to wear thin. She wanted to end this without violence, but it seemed she lacked her son’s way with people. “Bismuth?” she said, turning to face the rainbow-haired gem. Bismuth stared Citrine down as she slammed her fist into her open palm and cracked her knuckles. Already the Quartz’s resolve dissolved at the mere sight of her as a drop of sweat crawled down the side of her face, “Please, I’d rather we settle this peacefully, just tell us where you took my son.” Rose reasoned

The Citrine finally began to talk, “We… took him to the Human Zoo… it was a gift… f-from the other Diamonds to… Pink…”

Rose raised an eyebrow at the Quartz’s statement, “That’s impossible. I am… was… Pink Diamond. I’m Rose, Steven’s mother! The other Diamonds know this!” 

“I’m only telling you what I know!” The Citrine cried out frantically, “Ever since Pink’s surprise return after the trial of Rose Quartz, she’s been sequestered in the Human Zoo and refused to speak to the other Diamonds. This mission was to test the potential to travel between alternate realities.”

Rose contemplated her words for a moment, trying to parse out the conflicting detail in her own mind. ‘What is this all about?’ she thought, ‘After the trial for Rose Quartz? That was almost a year ago…’ she remembered seeing it all unfold through Steven’s gem vividly. It was during that trial that Steven, or rather the Zircon tasked with representing him, pointed out the holes in her mock death. The Zircon at one point even accusing the other Diamonds of orchestrating her demise, causing Yellow to go on a tirade. 

“I think I’ve heard enough.” Bismuth growled. With a single strike, the Citrine’s form dispersed once more as swiftly became encased within the confines of a new bubble.

“Ugh, you see, THIS is why Peridot and I wanted to get him a suit of armor.” Bismuth blurted, “It feels like every other time someone comes rolling up to his home, they’re after him! And it ain’t like you’re helping there, what with you babying him and all!”

“Like a suit of armor would have done him any good!” Rose scoffed.

“It would have done something!” Bismuth cried, “I’m at least trying to put Steven’s wellbeing in mind! You keep holding him back, he’s going to be totally unprepared with the responsibilities he’ll have. He’s a Diamond!”

“HE’S FIFTEEN!!!” Rose shouted, unable to contain her frustration any longer, “I want to be there to remind him that he’s still part human, a very young one at that! I want to show him that he can still enjoy himself from time to time, to be able to make mistakes without putting actual lives at stake! So he won’t make the same stupid, selfish mistakes that I made! I want to remind him that he doesn’t need to be like me! I am so tired of feeling like an obstacle in my son’s life!” 

Bismuth said nothing as Rose tried her best to collect herself. By now, she had accepted that the other gems would look down on her for her past grievances. But this was different. With Steven, she desperately wanted to do right by him. To be the best parent she could be for him and to show him she wasn’t some heartless monster, “And maybe a little bit of it is self-indulgence!” Rose admitted, “Maybe there is a part of me that wants to make up for lost time! For all the birthdays, first times, and heartaches where I wanted to be there as something more than a silent witness! He has so little time left to be young, and I want to be there for him…”

“Rose… I only want what’s best for Steven…” Bismuth said.

Rose sighed, eager to end their dispute, “I know you do, I know better than to question that. Let’s please focus on finding him…”

Bismuth grinned, “Way ahead of you. Peridot, you ready to get us out of here?”

“Okay then.” Peridot chirped, “From what the Citrine had told us, our destination is the Human Zoo. We just need to look Star maps, find out where we are in reference to it and… what?”

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Rose asked.

Peridot’s expression turned from confusion to worry as she seemed hesitant to say anything more, “Uhh, according to this Star map, we’re in the Milky Way Galaxy, but Earth doesn’t seem to be present. At all…”

“What? That can’t be right!” Andy cried, “This thing has be broken or something!”

“I can assure, Homeworld Star Maps are used by the Diamonds themselves. They can’t afford to be flawed.” Peridot stated grimly, “They’d notice such a glaring omission…”

Normally, when Rose heard Peridot praise of Homeworld efficiency, she’d do so with a childish glee that reminded her so much of herself during her days as a Diamond. But here it was completely absent. If what the Citrine had said was correct, then it wasn’t ‘their’ home. But even still, the thought that another world, another Earth having perished was enough to send a chill up her back. Once more, another question crept into her conscious, ‘What happened to this reality?’


	4. Chapter 4

By now, Steven had been with the mysterious gem for long enough to feel comfortable in her presence. He laid gently beside her, resting his head on her knee as she ruffled his hair. He was still certain this couldn’t have been his mother, but he now felt himself doubting any other explanation. Who else could she possibly be? But whenever he’d mention Earth, his father, the Crystal Gems, she’d simply dodge the question.

At the very least, he knew she was nice. Certainly a relief given his luck with meeting new gems. The plush softness of the bedsheets and the dulcet tones of ‘Rose’s’ humming brought forth a warm, comforting feeling as his mind slowly drifted further to sleep.

As his eyelids started to grow heavy, his trance-like state was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. He looked up, seeing the gem beside him baring an ominous look.

“Steven, I need you to go run and hide with the other humans. Do not let them see you, do you understand?”

Steven still didn’t understand what was happening, why did he have to hide now? “But…” he tried to ask.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?” Demanded the gem.

Steven said nothing, only nodding before scurrying off up the stairs. As he made his way to the upper walkway, curiosity overtook him. He positioned himself behind a pillar, watching as Blue and Yellow Diamond peaked around the towering door frame.

“Pink, may I come in?” Blue asked.

“Go. Away.” Demanded Pink.

“Pink, please, there’s no need to be so dramatic” Yellow stated, already entering the room. 

“Pink, why do you look like that? You know it upsets us…” Blue pleaded.

“Because we’re planning on going to Earth, my son and I want to leave, he’s upset and tired of being trapped here.” Steven noted the sharpness her tone, like ice, cold and harsh.

“Pink, you know what we do, we do to protect you, right? When you returned to us like this, we almost considered leaving you to White.” White Diamond. Steven remembered his brief encounter with Homeworld’s lead matriarchy in the past. Whenever she was mentioned, she always carried with her a sinister reputation. And at least from what his mother had, or rather hadn’t told him of her time with her, her cruelty extended further than just lower gems.

And here Blue was, casually throwing her name out to scare her into submission. Already, he could see ‘Rose’s’ resolve burn out like an open flame in a rainstorm.

“Is that what you want?” Blue’s tone seemed almost condescending, as though she knew how much White terrified her that just simply invoking her would be enough to make her do what Blue wanted.

“N-no…” Steven sighed. Her response made her sound so… defeated. From what he could tell, this was not the first time they had this particular conversation.

“And you know you’ve brought enough trouble to Earth, do you really think anyone there would even want you there anymore?”

“…No…” Steven felt his fist clench. Now she wasn’t even hiding her true motives! That was especially low, even for Blue, to just make her feel so worthless. If this gem truly was anything like his mother, she too would already be struggling with a precarious sense of self-worth. This measure of control and manipulation was nothing short of sickening. 

“Good, now please, enough of this nonsense, and stop using that silly form…”In a flash of Pink light, ‘Rose’s’ form shifted and warped until only Pink Diamond remained. “Alright, Pink, we’ll leave you alone for now.” Replied Blue as she turned to leave, “But we’ll be waiting for you until you’re ready to return to Homeworld.”

“Please understand, we’re much happier having you than that confused little creature.” Said Yellow.

“You only say that to feel better about murdering him.” Muttered Pink.

Steven wondered whether or not he stay as the other Diamonds left. On the one hand, he wasn’t entirely sure he could be safe around these Diamonds as he would the others, but still, he couldn’t help but harbor some amount of sympathy for Pink. Whoever she was, whatever she was, she seemed to be as much a prisoner here as him. He tried to think of some way he could help her. 

As much as he wanted to console this poor gem, he knew the risk in staying with her as long as the other Diamonds were still lingering around. As much as it pained him, he turned to leave in the direction of the Human Zoo’s main exhibit, promising he'd think of something.

*

Rose struggled to summon any memories she herself had of the Human Zoo. From the moment Blue Diamond had told her of the construction, she could only think of it in horror. She certainly remembered her son’s rescue mission to the Zoo to retrieve Greg. Oh, the choice words she would have had for Yellow and Blue had she been there to share them. So many times she felt as though she was forced to watch as gems that were meant to be hers carried out scenes from her nightmares. Tribes of humans rounded up and dragged aboard. She was so disgusted by these atrocities that had actively avoided visiting whenever possible.

But as she looked to the floating structure before them. She recognized him for what it was, her skin crawling at the thought of needing to enter such a morbid place. Rose called to Andy, if the staff was still there, they’d need a disguise. 

“What is it?” Andy asked.

“Andy, this is the Human Zoo. So the best chance we have for them letting us in would be if we were to bring you in as a new specimen.”

“What!? No way! I just got out of being locked up, and now you wanna lock me up again!?” Andy hollered.

“Andy, please. If Steven is in there, then we need to find a way in. We’ll come back for you. Please, if not for me, than for my baby.” Rose pleaded.

Andy’s expression shifted from anger, to guilt, to finally acceptance before speaking up once more, “Ah jeez, alright already. Yeesh, I can see where the kid got those puppy-dog eyes.”

“Wait, what about you?” asked Peridot, “From what I recall Rose Quartz gems are exactly ‘standard issue’.”

Rose smiled, “Which is why I won’t look like a Rose Quartz.” Her gemstone glowed as her body became consumed in a radiant pink aura. As the light faded, her skin took on a hot pink hue as her now shorter hair appeared lighter, almost white in color, “I’ll be… Pink Quartz!”

“Guess I’ve seen In-laws do weirder things…” muttered Andy.

Rose tried her best to maintain her composure as the rest of the group approached the entrance. There stood two Amethyst guards on either side. She recognized these ones from the Prime Kindergarten on Earth. She couldn’t help but take note of the irony of the situation, having to slip past what were meant to be your own soldiers. 

But in a sense, they never truly were hers, as much as she wanted it to be so. After all, it was Blue that had made them stay here so long, and now it was Blue they were loyal to, their uniforms still emblazoned with her insignia. 

Through the doorway to the Zoo approached a tall gem with a stocky build, her hair oriented in what Rose could only describe as two ‘horns’ above her head. She quickly recognized this gem from Steven’s visit to the Zoo as Holly Blue Agate.

“Oh, sorry, we’re not accepting any new specimens into the exhibit at this moment.” Holly stated, turning to Andy, “Especially one that appears so… old…”

Andy grunted, “Hey, you don’t exactly looks like a spring chicken yourself, lady.”

“Ugh, these things just make the most obnoxious noises.” Grumbled Holly.

“Please, Pink Diamond herself requested this one be brought here.” Rose pleaded.

Holly glared at Rose, “And why exactly is that?”

“He’s related to one that was brought earlier as gift to her.” Said Rose, “We were tasked with retrieving a human that could help keep her companion happy. So unless you do want to explain to the Diamonds why you saw it fit to obstruct their wishes-”

“Don’t think you can fool me!” scoffed Holly, “I take this position far too seriously to compromise it.”

Rose leered, “Fine, I’ll go inform My Diamond right now that your pride was more important than her will.”

Holly stammered as her resolve quickly fizzled out, “I’ll see to this one myself.” She said, leading Andy away from the others. Thankfully, Rose knew he wouldn’t be in any real danger, but knew she would need to retrieve him in due time.

As she disappeared down the hall, Rose finally returned to her original form, the three scurrying as fast as they could in their search for Steven. Rose tried her best to recall the layout of the Human Zoo from Steven’s visit, hoping it would provide a mental map to his location. She had guessed he had to have been somewhere near her room. Hopefully, this time without any other Diamonds. 

Finally, they had made it near her room, or rather ‘Pink Diamond’s’ room. From the logs in the research ship to what the Citrine had told them, if Steven were anywhere in this awful place then it would have to be here.

“Mom? Guys?”

Rose could hardly believe it, at the other end of the hall leading into the room stood Steven. Rose felt a well of relief wash over her as she rushed to scoop him into her arms, “Oh, Steven! Thank goodness!” she cried as she held him tightly.

“Wait, are you Mom, or are you that other gem?” Steven asked.

‘Other gem?’ Rose thought, perplexed by Steven’s question. Her answer came the moment she heard the approach of a familiar voice from within the room “Steven? Sweetie, where are-”

As the gem turned the corner into the hallway, the two locked eyes onto one another in awkward silence. Rose could barely process what she was staring at. There she stood. Pink Diamond, Rose’s old identity, her old life staring right back at her. Pink appeared as though she had seen a ghost. Her expression that of immense regret, as though seeing Rose had summoned long buried memories of who she once was.

“W-who are you?” Pink stammered.

Rose tried her best to regain her composure, as she was still ill at ease hearing another with her voice, “I’m… Rose. Steven’s mother.” She said.

“You’re mistaken, Steven is my baby!” Pink stated.

‘YOU’RE baby?’ Rose couldn’t believe this gem’s half-hearted lie. Who was she trying to fool? “And just who are you then?”

“I’m R-…Pink… I’m Pink Diamond, Steven’s mother.” 

It seemed as if all at once, the pieces seemed to click. The Citrine speaking of traveling between realities, Steven being referred to by the research ship as ‘Pink’s gift’, this gem’s exchange with Blue Diamond. This WAS her, or at least, a version of her. “You’re me…” 

Now this was starting to sound even more like some morbid idea of a joke. The person responsible for her son’s kidnapping, for the imprisonment of her and the others was, in fact… herself. Rose couldn’t help but feel her grip on Steven tighten at the thought. The gal this gem had to think she had any right to take her child away from her and pass him off as hers! After all she had done, of all the gems she had trampled over to get what she wanted. One reality wasn’t enough? She had to go out of her way to spread her misery to herself a universe away!? “Who gave you the right to take my Steven!?”

The Diamond flinched, caught off guard by the harshness of Rose’s words. “I just wanted my baby back.” Cried Pink, “You couldn’t imagine the pain I went through in losing-”

“Your pain!?” Rose snapped, startling Pink.

“What about the pain you wrought on all those gems in your fight for Earth? Were they not important enough for you to help them!? What about the millennia you took from Bismuth? Was HER pain easier to bare!?” Rose’s ranting rendered Pink speechless as a new stream of tears poured from her eyes.

“What about Pearl!? What about the pain we left her with!? She LOVED you! And you USED her! Just like you used everyone else! Especially Steven!”

“N-no…” Pink tried to retort, “I love my baby…”

“What kind of loving mother would have put him through half of what you put him through!? Look at you, you want to be this loving mother figure but all you are is a CHILD. And no amount of lies and shapeshifting can hide it.”

Pink said nothing, turning her gaze from Rose as she collapsed to the floor. She wiped her eyes as she finally mustered the will to speak, “T-take him…” she whimpered. 

The three turned to depart, Rose ignoring the sound of Pink’s weeping behind her. Without even looking, she could just feel the judgmental stare Steven leveled towards her.

“Steven, what is it?” Rose asked.

“Did you really need to say all those mean things to her?”

Rose sighed, “It’s the truth, Steven.”

“As if she didn’t already know that!” Steven blurted, “Mom, she needs our help.”

“She’s the reason you were kidnapped in the first place.” Rose stated.

“Because of what happened to her son. She was just lonely! I thought you of all people would get that!” Steven pleaded.

“Steven. Do not argue with me here-”

“I’m going back to help her. You promised me you’d be better, but I guess those were just empty words. All you really want to do is keep hating yourself.” Steven squirmed and wriggled himself free from Rose’s arms as he returned to Pink’s side. She couldn’t help but feel a pit in her chest from what he said. It was harsh, probably the harshest things she had ever heard him say, but she bitterly accepted it. 

With much hesitation, she approached her double, “…Pink…” she said, struggling to bring herself to speak to herself, “Listen, we need help getting one of our own back from within the Zoo exhibit. If you help us, you are free you join us on our journey back home.”

“You guys know a way to get home?” Steven asked.

“Of course!” Peridot stated, beaming with pride, “I’ve had an opportunity to analyze the logs on the research station we were initially detained in. It’s legitimately intriguing, as it utilizes high-velocity light refraction to manipulate their dimensional vibrations to-”

“Uh, Peridot?” Steven cut in, “Smaller words for us please?”

Peridot’s enthusiasm shifted to annoyance as she gave off an irritated sigh, “Urgh… Fine. Big ship go real fast, shake whole bunch and in new place. Shall this suffice?”

“Yeah…” Steven murmured.

Peridot sighed, “What’s important is that this means of transport does not require any specialized parts, it’s simply a different method of standard Homeworld navigation. The ship we have should be equipped to take us to our reality…”

Rose wasn’t sure if their latest teammate made staying inconspicuous better or worse. For the time being, there seemed to be no other gems in their area. At the very least, it made accessing shortcuts throughout the Zoo much easier. 

Upon stepping into the exhibit itself, it was about what she had expected from the Diamonds and of Steven’s memories of the place. A half-hearted, closed off facsimile of Earth. Though it was designed to eliminate pain and other negative stimulus, Rose felt it undercut what she loved about humans. On Earth, things change so often so quickly that humans were forced to preserver and change along with it. But here, their growth was rendered static. 

It wasn’t difficult spotting Andy among the other humans, as it merely involved following his screams. The group of humans already took notice of Steven’s presence as he approached with the others. 

“Ah, Ste-van!” one cried, “It is nice to see you again. The latest arrival claims to know you.”

The crowd of humans retreated, revealing Andy in typical Zoo garb, his arms crossed and a distinctive frown on his face. “An-dee is certainly a loud human, but he is a fun one!” exclaimed another human.

Andy turned to Rose, a despondent look on his face, “Can we go home now, this place is a freakn’ hippie nightmare.”

“None of you are going anywhere.” Declared a stern, authoritative voice. Rose and others turned to see Yellow and Blue Diamond looming over them, their stature blocking out the artificial sun, “Especially you, Pink.”


	5. Chapter 5

Steven’s eyes darted to the others around him, hoping at least someone would appear to have a plan. Pink clung to herself as she averted her eyes from Yellow and Blue while Rose in contrast sternly met their gaze, standing tall with her arms crossed. Bismuth unsurprisingly matched Rose’s demeanor, almost assuming a fighting stance alongside Peridot. From behind, he could hear Andy scuttle away from the Diamonds. The other humans, however, seemed to only sit and stare in awe of them.

Holly Blue Agate appeared from behind them “These are ones, my Diamonds.” She said as turned her gaze to Rose “however, the Quartz looked different.”

The towering figures shifted their gaze to Rose, “If you are who I think you are.” Stated Yellow, “You should know to back away now before you make this worse for yourself.”

“Are you threatening me?” Rose said in disbelief.

“I don’t make threats.” Stated Yellow, “I make promises.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t know if know this, but this wouldn’t be the first time we fought.”  
Gloated Bismuth, “So unless you want a taste of what we gave OUR Blue and Yellow Diamond, I suggest you move out of the way before we make a mess around here…”

“Uh… Bismuth…” Steven whispered, “We only made it out of there because I made them think I was Pink Diamond. And these Diamonds already know and don’t care.”

“I know, Steven.” Bismuth whispered back through gritted teeth, “It’s called bluffing.”

Rose marched forward, positioning herself between him and the Diamonds, “I won’t let you take away my child!”

“Ugh, you’re her alright.” Groaned Yellow, “Ever since her return, she just won’t stop talking about this… thing! I thought getting another one would be enough to keep her quiet! But it seems she only causes us more trouble with it!”

A shield sliced through the air, striking the bridge of Yellow’s nose. “You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to do that.” Stated Rose.

With a wave of Blue’s hand, an orb of light appeared over her head. From it, beams of light darted out and zig-zagged through the air before striking the ground in a massive explosion. Yellow, now having recovered, fired a bolt of electricity towards Rose, who only barely managed to project a shield in her hand before impact.

The force of the blast reverberated outward as it pushed Rose into the ground below. Trees were uprooted. Dirt, grass, and other debris were kicked about into the air creating a gigantic cloud of dust. The other gems scattered, making use of the new terrain for convenient cover for hiding from the Diamonds above that now hunted them.

Steven scrambled to Rose’s side, doing his best to avoid attracting the Diamond’s attention. He panicked as he dug through the rubble in a desperate attempt to find her. Behind him, he heard the approach of another, turning to see Bismuth. With their combined efforts, they had finally unearthed Rose, who lay pinned under a massive pile of fallen trees and rocks. 

Steven knew something was wrong, even as a Quartz, Rose would normally be strong enough to free herself, but it seemed Yellow’s attack had seemingly sapped her of her strength.

“C’mon, Rose!” Bismuth demanded out, “We need you! Steven needs you!”

Rose groaned, struggling to move, “Can’t fight them… I’m just a Quartz… I can’t do it alone.”

“You won’t be alone!” Steven tried his best to reassure her, “You’ll have us!”

“Let’s do this for Steven!” cried Bismuth as she reached out a hand to Rose. Rose smiled, “Right… for Steven…”

Their gemstones glowed as their bodies became engulfed in a flash of light that stung Steven’s eyes before looking away. As he turned to look again, he gasped.

Steven stared wordlessly in awe of the new fusion before him, his mouth ajar as stars danced in his eyes. He had always been captivated by the spectacle of gems fusing to becoming something new, but this one in particular felt special. The first thing to catch Steven’s attention was her hair, its shape in the form of Rose’s unmistakable ringlets that ran all the way down to the back of her legs, but now bearing a rainbow pattern of colors. From her face and torso, Steven could see that his mother’s ‘softer’ features were made prominent while her legs and four arms exuded Bismuth's rougher, muscular physique. Everything Steven saw from this fusion was a beautiful display of contradicting characteristics synced into perfect harmony. She was simultaneously soft, but strong. Fierce, but approachable.

“Uh, Steven, what… happened?” The new fusion said in a sweet, motherly tone. Her voice still exuding a great deal of latent strength.

“Mom! Bismuth! You fused!?” Steven cried.

The fusion looked over herself, seemingly as surprised as he was, grinning with excitement, “I guess so! You can call us… Titanium Quartz!”

It did not take long for the other Diamonds to spot the new fusion, as she easily stood as tall they did. But if Titanium Quartz was worried, she sure didn’t show it, “Are we gonna have to do this the hard way?” she mused, cracking the knuckles of her lower arms while her upper arms summoned a shield and hammer in each hand, “Oh, please say yes!” 

With a flick of her wrist, Yellow unleashed a second bolt of electricity, this time blocked by Titanium’s shield. Titanium charged forward, assailing Yellow with a barrage from her four arms. Each successive blow, her arms shifting into all manner of armaments. She bludgeoned her with hammers and spiked maces, sliced with axes, and finally beat her repeatedly with blunt edges of four shields. With each new weapon, Titanium struck with the speed and grace that only such seasoned warriors as Rose and Bismuth possessed. Yellow proved resilient, taking the brunt of Titanium Quartz’s assault, her electrokinesis proving to still be an effective defense as is cloaked her in a protective aura.

The ground beneath Steven shook with each blow for the gargantuan combatants, the sound of their battle echoed like thunder, each punch generating a powerful shockwave that threatened to throw any unwitting bystanders through the air. 

Steven could not help but watch, captivated by the sight of such an epic confrontation. As much as he loathed violence, even he had to admit seeing a battle that would usually have only existed in Connie’s books or in Pearl’s recounting of the gem war was nothing short of astounding. 

“Steven!”

Peridot’s cries broke Steven free of his trance as the small gem frantically made her way towards him, “What’re you doing just sitting there!? We need to go!”

However, despite Titanium’s impressive strength, Yellow had already begun to turn the tide in her favor. As Titanium’s strength wavered further, Yellow took hold of her by her throat and tossed her aside. Steven and Peridot raced to escape the point of impact before being encased with a large pink bubble. Pink strained to hold her construct as Titanium crashed into the ground.

“Pink, they’re tearing this whole place apart!” Steven cried, “We need to get the other humans out of the enclosure!”

“Already done!” Pink replied, “Steven, please, I’m so sorry about all of this! We can leave and go to Earth, like you wanted!”

“Um… Pink…” Peridot nervously said, “I… don’t really know how to tell you this… but Earth… This Earth…is gone…”

“What?” Pink’s expression began to shift from frantic to confused, “B-but, the other Diamonds promised to spare it! I trusted them!”

“The ship we used to get here was near Earth’s galaxy, but Earth was absent on its star maps.”  
Pink’s pupils shrunk as she gritted her teeth, “They promised…” she growled, “…They knew I had already lost everything, and they USED me!”

Steven timidly stepped forward, “Uh, Pink, are you okay?” 

Pink said nothing as her hands shook and closed into clenched fists. She rose to her feet, Steven shuttering at the look of pure, uncontrollable rage on her face as she turned her gaze to the skirmish behind them, “I’m fine, Steven, I just need to take care of something.”

As Pink raised her hands, the ground beneath Steven shook once more. This time on a much greater magnitude until finally, vegetation spewed forth from below. The exposed dirt quickly turned into a sea of green as an assortment of vines, roots, and other vegetation lunged towards the Diamonds like hungry snakes at a meal. Yellow and Blue tried valiantly to fight back, but their power proved useless against their organic foe as vines wrapped around her arms like shackles. In their struggle, they were dragged downward into the dirt below. 

“What- how!?” Yellow remarked in surprise.

“I’ve been here long enough to help cultivate every plant in this Zoo.” Pink stated, “I thought doing so would help distract me from what I lost. It didn’t.”

Suddenly, the area became engulfed in a blue haze as Steven felt a crippling sense of guilt and sorrow completely drown him until he fell to his knees. He knew what this was, this was not the first time he was affected by Blue Diamond’s powers. Luckily, it seemed she had not taken Yellow into consideration before her attack, as she now struggled against both it and the vegetation that engulfed her deeper into the ground. 

Titanium Quartz finally dispersed, both Rose and Bismuth collapsing onto the ground. Peridot tried her best to fight it before finally falling herself, powerless before this psionic assault. However, when Steven’s attention turned to Pink, he saw that she did not waver. Certainly, tears flowed freely from her eyes, but her expression remained that of utter outrage.

“This? This is what you claim to have felt mourning me for the last few thousand years?” Pink scoffed, “Pathetic.”

Blues attack dissipated as the Diamonds became entombed beneath the soil, their heads barely rising from the surface, “Pink, what are you doing!? Let us go!” Yellow demanded.

“No, I’m tired of watching you destroy everything I love!”

Blue struggled to free herself as she begged, “Pink, what we did was-”

“’Out of love’? Is that what you were going to say to me? Was that what I was supposed to be feeling from you when I felt him take his last breath? When I held what was left of him in my hands after what you did? That boy was everything good about me, and Yellow crushed him in her hand like a grape! I… I’ll never have my Steven back… I HATE you! I hate you both so much!” Pink fell to knees, her anger giving way to sorrow. As she fell to her knees, the overgrowth that surrounded her seemed to react in kind as though it were an extension of her.

Steven tried his best to understand her grief. In a way, it was the same feeling he had felt upon loosing Lars on Homeworld. But even then, he had managed to bring him back. But with Pink, the person she had lost was far more intimate than a friend. Even though Steven knew that he was his own person, there was still a part of himself that was fundamentally borne from his mother. He knew now that she bore witness to events of his entire life, unable to interact with him directly. Surely, watching him perish and be unable to step in herself… he couldn’t imagine how she felt.

However, he did know she needed his help. Carefully, he made his way towards her, “Pink, I’m really sorry about what happened to your son.” Steven said, trying his best to console her, “But, I’m not him. Not really. I know you didn’t mean to hurt us. Just let us go…”

The other gems rushed to his side, anticipating another confrontation. Instead, Pink only sat in silence. She continued to sit in contemplation as Rose and the others approached, “Steven.” Rose said, “It’s time to go.”

Part of him didn’t want to leave. At least not now. Between Pink, the other Diamonds, and even the humans, he wasn’t sure what would happen if he left her like this.

“It’s alright, child.” Pink said, now having broken her silence, “I won’t stop you. I’ll take care of the humans here. It’s now all I have left to remember Earth by…”

Steven noted the grim tone of her voice as she spoke. Though it possessed some speck of hope, it was muffled by the whirlwind of emotions that raged within her. With a heavy heart, he departed with the others.

The flight back was mostly quiet. Andy, of course, grumbled over the loss of his cloths while Peridot mused at the joy of having a ship at her disposal. He felt like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t find the right words. It was clear from the look on Rose’s faces that she was distraught. 

“Mom? Do you think she’ll be okay?” he finally asked. Rose struggled to form a proper answer, “I can’t say for certain, Steven. I couldn’t imagine doing the things she did…”  


“I’m sure she’ll take good care of all those people in the zoo.”

Rose chuckled, “I don’t doubt that… but right now, sweetheart, I’m more interested in taking us home… actually, now that I think about it, you probably don’t me babying you after what you’ve been through-”

“No, actually…. This is nice.” Steven said, clinging to Rose’s side tightly, “I feel safe around you…”

Steven knew he’d have a lot to explain once he had finally gotten home. He could only imagine the response from Connie and the others about having been taken to parallel universe. He wondered about what the future would have in store for Pink, if perhaps she would finally find piece. The best he could do, he decided, was to have faith in her. At the very least, he thought, this made for an interesting story.


End file.
